Vacuum actuated automatic transfer device

ABSTRACT

A transfer device for filling the fuel tank of a vehicle using a vacuum source such as the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine as the driving force. The transfer device forces the fuel into the fuel tank until the tank is full, at which time a buoyant member connected to a pivot arm actuates a valve to close off the vacuum line. The valve and buoyant member are in separate chambers of the transfer device so that fuel never contacts the valve. The pivot arm arrangement for actuating the valve assures dependable operation since both the valve and pivot pin are free from contamination by fuel sediments.

IUnited Mates Patent lillougen [54] VAUUIUM ACTUATED AUTUMIATIIC TRANSFER DEVHiClE [72] Inventor: Kenneth 0. lliougen, 3950 Virginia Road,

Apt. 304, Long Beach, Calif. 90807 [22] Filed: Aug, 21, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 851,783

Ranney ..l41/59 X Gerstmann 1 37/202 Primary ExaminerEdward J. Earls Attorney-Fowler, Knobbe & Martens [5 7] ABSTRACT A transfer device for filling the fuel tank of a vehicle using a vacuum source such as the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine as the driving force. The transfer device forces the fuel into the fuel tank until the tank is full, at which time a buoyant member connected to a pivot arm actuates a valve to close off the vacuum line. The valve and buoyant member are in separate chambers of the transfer device so that fuel never contacts the valve. The pivot arm arrangement for actuating the valve assures dependable operation since both the valve and pivot pin are free from contamination by fuel sediments.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIED FEB 8572 SHEET 1 OF 2 Hill INVENTOR. (FA/NE 71/ 0. HOl/Gf/V VACUUM ACTUATlElD AUTUIWATIC TRANSFER DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE ENVENTION This invention relates to vacuum actuated transfer devices and particularly those transfer devices used to fill the fuel tanks of vehicles from external fuel supplies.

it has been found that for many industrial agricultural and military vehicles which operate in areas where fuel pumping stations are not readily available, a means for filling fuel tanks of such vehicles in the field without using a separate mobile pumping truck is advantageous. Since the intake manifolds of vehicles using internal combustion engines provide a ready vacuum source, attempts have been made in the past to mount on the neck of vehicle fuel tanks a pump which uses this vacuum to drive fluid into the fuel tank.

These systems have proven satisfactory, except that the various means used to stop the pumping action when the fuel tank is full have been undependable. Therefore many of these systems have been found to be impractical since, with age, and changes in temperature, the valve actuating components become clogged and the valve fails to close off the vacuum line when the tank is full. When this occurs the tank in some instances overflows. In other instances, when the tank and pump unit themselves are well sealed, the vacuum line leading to the intake manifold of the engine fills with fuel and eventually the intake manifold itself becomes flooded and stops the engine.

The purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to allow the use of the vacuum source from the intake manifold to drive fluid into the fuel tank of a vehicle Without the possibility of either overflowing the fuel tank or flooding the engine. It has been found that, to accomplish this result, it is advantageous to keep all of the valve surfaces, and the bearing surfaces used in the mechanism for closing the valve, out of contact with the fuel, and therefore free from contamination by the fuel. In addition, it is advantageous to keep the sensing system which determines when the tank is full, which in the preferred embodiment is a buoyant member, free from close association with other members, since this buoyant member is susceptible to changes in size with temperature and with the deposit of fuel contaminants, and may therefore frictionally engagc closely associated members with time.

To produce a dependable vacuum actuated transfer device, a novel valving system has been invented. This system incorporates a transfer device body which is hollow and which is adapted to being connected to the neck of a fuel tank. In order to evacuate the area in the fuel tank above the fuel level it is necessary that this connection between the transfer device body and the fuel tank be airtight. The valve actuating components are placed in this separate transfer device body and are thus free from splashing fuel within the tank as it is filled. Likewise, by placing these valve members outside of the vehicle tank, the portion of the transfer device which is inserted into the tank may be small in size, such that the opening in the tank at which the transfer device is connected may be much smaller than that required for prior art devices.

The transfer device body itself is advantageously separated into two chambers, one chamber designed to house the buoyant member, and the other designed to house the valve and the valve actuating bearing surfaces. A vacuum is drawn through a tube which connects the intake manifold to the transfer device body and, in turn, the tank itself is evacuated through an aperture which connects the valve chamber to the fuel tank. A tube connects the fuel tank to the outside source of fuel and a second tube connects the top of the fuel tank to the buoyant member chamber in the transfer device body. When the fuel in the tank reaches the level of the lower end of this second tube, fuel is drawn through this second tube into the float chamber, raising the float and closing the valve, therefore deactuating the transfer device. Once closed, the valve is advantageously maintained in the closed position by the force of the vacuum which is drawn against its face, and the fuel may therefore be free to run back from the buoyant member chamber into the fuel tank, leaving the transfer device free of fuel. This emptying of the buoyant member chamber is advantageous since it prohibits fuel from splashing from the buoyant member chamber into the valve chamber as the vehicle is driven. By placing the bearing surfaces of the valve actuating mechanism and valving surfaces themselves in a chamber which is separated from the buoyant member chamber, these surfaces may be kept free of contamination from fuel. Likewise, the buoyant member itself may be connected to a pivot arm, rather than being maintained in a sliding arrangement within a tube as was the practice before this invention, and thus kept free from any possibility of frictionally engaging other transfer device surfaces due to changes in size with changes in temperature, or fuel sedimerits.

These and other advantages of the present invention are best understood with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 11 is an overall block diagram of the system in which the present transfer device and valving system are utilized;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the transfer device showing the valve actuating members;

FIG. 3 is a section of the transfer device taken at right angles to the section shown in FIG. 2.

Referring first to FIG. ll, the transferring unit 10 is shown connected to the neck 12 of a vehicle fuel tank 14. This unit may be cast in a single unit, as from noncorrosive aluminum or other metals, or from plastic, or may be machined. The transferring unit illl is, in turn, connected to a supply source, or tank 16 through a conduit or tube 18, which may be made from any type of plastic or metal material, preferably flexible in nature and noncorrosive. The supply source 16 is vented to the atmosphere in conventional manner (not shown) such that, if a vacuum is drawn in the fuel tank 14 a pressure differential between the atmospheric pressure being applied to the fuel in the supply tank I6 and the pressure within the vehicle tank 114 will drive fluid through the tube 18 into the vehicle tank M. In addition, a conduit or tube 29, typically made of flexible noncorrosive plastic or metal, connects the transferring unit 10 to the intake manifold 22 of the vehicle. When the vehicle engine is running, a vacuum exists in this manifold 22, and tube 20 is therefore used to draw a vacuum within the transfer device I0 and the vehicle tank 14. A manual shutoff valve 24 is connected between the tube 20 and the transferring unit It) and allows the transferring unit to be completely separated from the intake manifoid 22 when the transferring unit 10 is not in use.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the operation of the transferring unit it) may be explained. The tube 18 (see FIG. 2) from the supply source is connected to a cylindrical horizontal passage 26 within the transferring unit 10, which passage 26 is, in turn, connected to a vertical conduit or tube 28 which extends below the transferring unit 10 into the vehicle tank I4. The lower end of this vertical tube 28 is open such that fluid drawn through the tube 18 and the passage 26 will fall through the tube 28 and into the tank 14. Adjacent the cylindrical passage 26 is a hollow chamber 30 which is sealed from the outside atmosphere and from the vehicle tank itself except for a number of small openings. This chamber 31) houses the valve mechanism which deenergizes the transferring unit It) when the vehicle tank 1 3 is full. This separation of the valve mechanism from the vehicle tank 14 prohibits contamination of the mechanism by fuel deposits due to fuel splashing in the vehicle tank 14.

Chamber 30 is divided by a partition wall 32 into two subchambers, a buoyant member chamber 34 and a valve chamber 36. The buoyant member chamber is connected to the vehicle tank Id through a conduit or tube 38 which runs parallel to the tube 28 for a short distance into the vehicle tank 114 and is then opened into the vehicle tank 14 (See FIG. 2). Since the only components of the transferring unit 10 which must be inserted into the neck of the vehicle tank I4 are these tubes 2t and 38, the transferring unit MB is adapted to function with tanks which have very small openings. The valve chamber 36 is in fluid communication with the top of the vehicle tank 14 through a small orifice 40. When a vacuum is drawn on vacuum line 20, and the manual valve 24 is open, the chamber 30 is evacuated through an orifice 42 which connects the valve 241 to the chamber 30. it can be seen that when the level of the fuel in the vehicle tank 14 is low, vacuum drawn through the line will evacuate the transfer device chamber 30 and, through both the aperture 40 and the tube 38 will, in turn, evacuate the fuel tank 14. However, when the fuel in the tank 14 reaches a level which is high enough to immerse the lower end of the tube 38, a vacuum is drawn in the vehicle tank 14 only through the aperture 40. By making this aperture 40 sufficiently small so that throttling occurs within the aperture, a pressure differential is created between the chamber 30 and the vehicle tank 14, the chamber 30 being evacuated to a greater extent than the vehicle tank M. This pressure differential is sufficient to drive fluid up the tube 38 from the vehicle tank 114 to flood the buoyant member chamber 34.

When the buoyant member chamber 34 is filled with fluid, the buoyant member, or float, 44, will rise. This buoyant member 44- is connected to a pivot arm 46 which is rotatably mounted about a pin 48 which is fixed to the wall of the valve chamber 30. Rotation of the float and the arm 46 about the pivot pin 48, due to the existence of fuel in the buoyant member chamber, will, in turn, displace a valve seal member 50, which is also connected to the arm 46. This valve seal member 50 will move against a valve seat 52 to seal the orifice 42 when the float 4 reaches its highest level within the float chamber 34-. This highest level of the float 44 is achieved before the fluid within the float chamber 34 reaches the level of the top ol'the partition 32.

'lherefore, the valve chamber housing the pivot pin 48, the valve seal 50 and the valve seat 52 are maintained free of any contact with the fuel, and thus free from contamination by fuel sediments. Once the float has raised the arm 46 and closed the valve sealing means 50, the throttling action of the orifice 4 0, and the pressure differential between the chamber 30 and the vehicle tank 14 subside. There is maintained a vacuum, however, in the tube 20 and this vacuum, when operating against the valve seal 50, will maintain this seal 50 against the valve seat 52 regardless of the level of the fluid in the buoyant member chamber 34. The fluid in the buoyant member chamber 34 will now flow back through the tube 38 into the vehicle tank 14 since the pressure differential has subsided. The buoyant member chamber will therefore empty itself of fuel into the fuel tank such that no fuel exists in the chamber 36 after the filling operation is completed.

Once the tank is full, the manual vacuum control valve 24 may be closed and the tube 18 may be removed from the supply tank 16 so that the vehicle may be driven away from the supply tank 16. The absence of fuel in the buoyant member chamber 34 prevents fuel from splashing onto the pivot pin 4-8, or the valve seal 50, or valve seat 52, and therefore keeps these members free of contamination when the transfer device is not in use.

It can be seen that by changing the level in the fuel tank M at which the tube 38 enters the tank, and by changing the size of the throttling orifice 40, the level of fuel in the tank 14 at which the buoyant member chamber 34 becomes flooded may be changed, and therefore the extent to which the tank 14 will be filled is adjustable by changing these characteristics of the transferring unit 10. This flexibility is important, since this allows the transferring unit 20 to be utilized on a variety of vehicle tank configurations.

The chamber 30 advantageously includes a removable upper wall 54 which allows access to the chamber 30 for inspection and cleaning of the parts. This cover 54 must be hermetically sealed to the transfer device body it), and may be attached by a plurality of screws 56. Likewise, the transfer device body it) must be hermetically attached to the neck of the fuel tank i4 and this scaling is advantageously accomplished through the use of an annular, threaded adapter ring 51. This adapter ring 51 may be selected to fit a given fuel tank i4, so that the basic transferring unit it) will function on any fuel tank 14. The seal between the transferring unit 10, adapter ring 51 and fuel tank 14 is maintained by the use of two gaskets, 58 and 59, which are fitted, respectively, between the transferring unit it) and the adapter 51, and between the adapter 51 and fuel tank lld.

lclaim:

l. A fluid transfer device for filling the fuel tank of a vehicle, said transfer device designed to be mounted at the neck of said tank, comprising:

a vacuum source;

a hollow body constructed to engage and hermetically seal said tank neck;

a first conduit mounted on said body and disposed partially within said tank, one end of said conduit opening into said tank, the other end connected to a source of fuel to be transferred into said tank;

a partition separating said body into a buoyant member chamber and a valve chamber said valve chamber being maintained free of fuel by said partition;

a second conduit mounted on said body and disposed partially within said tank, one end of said second conduit opening into said tank, the other end opening into said buoyant member chamber;

a third conduit connecting said valve chamber to said vacuum source;

an arm, pivotally mounted within said hollow body;

a buoyant member mounted on said arm, disposed within said buoyant member chamber;

a valve seal mounted on said arm within said valve chamber, operable to close off said third conduit when said arm pivots, whereby said vacuum source draws fluid into said tank through said first conduit until fluid flowing through said second conduit fills said buoyant member chamber to raise said buoyant member and move said valve seal, thereby closing off said third conduit; and

a throttling orifice fluidly connecting said hollow body to said tank so that the pressure in said hollow body is lower than that in said tank when said third conduit is open causing fuel to flow into said buoyant member chamber through said second conduit when the fuel reaches the extremity of said second conduit in said tank, said orifice also effective to allow fuel to flow out of said buoyant member chamber through said second conduit when said third conduit is closed by venting said hollow body to said tank.

2. A transfer device as defined in claim i wherein said arm is pivotally mounted upon a pin, said pin being attached to said body in said valve chamber, and thus free of contact with liquids in said container or in said buoyant member chamber.

3. A fluid transfer device for filling a closed container with fluid comprising:

a container;

means for evacuating said container;

means for connecting said container to a source of said fluid;

means for selectively deactivating said means for evacuating when said fluid in said container reaches a predetermined level, said deactivating means being located outside said container in a separate chamber which becomes filled with fluid when said fluid in said container reaches a said predetermined level; and

a throttling member connecting said container to said chamber which allows said fluid in said chamber to flow into said container while said means for evacuating is deactivated by said deactivating means.

l. A fluid transfer device as defined in claim 3 wherein said selectively deactivating means is located above said container and wherein said throttling member comprises a conduit, one end of which is in fluid communication with said deactivating means and the other end of which opens into said container, the diameter of said conduit being small enough to produce a pressure differential between said container and said chamber when said means for evacuating is not deactivated, thereby allowing said chamber to become filled with said fluid when said fluid in said container reaches said predetermined level.

5. A transfer device as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising:

a hollow body which includes said separate chamber, said chamber having first and second chamber portions, and a partition separating the lower portions of said chamber portions and wherein said deactivating means comprises:

a pivot arm which extends between said first and second chamber portions above said partition and which is rotationally mounted in said second chamber portion;

a buoyant member attached to said pivot arm in said first chamber portion, and

valve means mounted on said pivot arm in said second chamber portion, said valve means operable to deactivate said evacuating means when said buoyant member rotates said pivot arm.

6. A transfer device for filling a closed container with liquid comprising:

a body having a hollow chamber which is separated from said container;

an evacuating means operable to lower the pressure within said container;

means for controlling said evacuating means, said controlling means including four parts, one of which comprises a float which contacts liquid in said hollow chamber, said liquid being drawn into said chamber from said container only after said liquid in said container reaches a predetermined level in said container; the second of which comprises a sealing member connected to said evacuating means, the third of which comprises means for isolating the liquid in said container and said chamber from contact with said sealing member, and the fourth of which comprises means for allowing fluid to flow from said chamber to said container when said sealing member is sealed, said controlling means responsive to the level of said liquid in said chamber, and

a conduit for connecting said container to a source of liquid.

'7. A transfer device as defined in claim 6 wherein said controlling means further comprises:

an arm, pivotally mounted within said chamber;

said float connected to pivot said am as the level of said liquid rises in said container, and

said sealing member connected to said arm, isolated from said liquid, and positioned to prevent operation of said evacuating means when said arm pivots through a predetermined angle. 

1. A fluid transfer device for filling the fuel tank of a vehicle, said transfer device designed to be mounted at the neck of said tank, comprising: a vacuum source; a hollow body constructed to engage and hermetically seal said tank neck; a first conduit mounted on said body and disposed partially within said tank, one end of said conduit opening into said tank, the other end connected to a source of fuel to be transferred into said tank; a partition separating said body into a buoyant member chamber and a valve chamber said valve chamber being maintained free of fuel by said partition; a second conduit mounted on said body and disposed partially within said tank, one end of said second conduit opening into said tank, the other end opening into said buoyant member chamber; a third conduit connecting said valve chamber to said vacuum source; an arm, pivotally mounted within said hollow body; a buoyant member mounted on said arm, disposed within said buoyant member chamber; a valve seal mounted on said arm within said valve chamber, operable to close off said third conduit when said arm pivots, whereby said vacuum source draws fluid into said tank through said first conduit until fluid flowing through said second conduit fills said buoyant member chamber to raise said buoyant member and move said valve seal, thereby closing off said third conduit; and a throttling orifice fluidly connecting said hollow body to said tank so that the pressure in said hollow body is lower than that in said tank when said third conduit is open causing fuel to flow into said buoyant mEmber chamber through said second conduit when the fuel reaches the extremity of said second conduit in said tank, said orifice also effective to allow fuel to flow out of said buoyant member chamber through said second conduit when said third conduit is closed by venting said hollow body to said tank.
 2. A transfer device as defined in claim 1 wherein said arm is pivotally mounted upon a pin, said pin being attached to said body in said valve chamber, and thus free of contact with liquids in said container or in said buoyant member chamber.
 3. A fluid transfer device for filling a closed container with fluid comprising: a container; means for evacuating said container; means for connecting said container to a source of said fluid; means for selectively deactivating said means for evacuating when said fluid in said container reaches a predetermined level, said deactivating means being located outside said container in a separate chamber which becomes filled with fluid when said fluid in said container reaches a said predetermined level; and a throttling member connecting said container to said chamber which allows said fluid in said chamber to flow into said container while said means for evacuating is deactivated by said deactivating means.
 4. A fluid transfer device as defined in claim 3 wherein said selectively deactivating means is located above said container and wherein said throttling member comprises a conduit, one end of which is in fluid communication with said deactivating means and the other end of which opens into said container, the diameter of said conduit being small enough to produce a pressure differential between said container and said chamber when said means for evacuating is not deactivated, thereby allowing said chamber to become filled with said fluid when said fluid in said container reaches said predetermined level.
 5. A transfer device as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising: a hollow body which includes said separate chamber, said chamber having first and second chamber portions, and a partition separating the lower portions of said chamber portions and wherein said deactivating means comprises: a pivot arm which extends between said first and second chamber portions above said partition and which is rotationally mounted in said second chamber portion; a buoyant member attached to said pivot arm in said first chamber portion, and valve means mounted on said pivot arm in said second chamber portion, said valve means operable to deactivate said evacuating means when said buoyant member rotates said pivot arm.
 6. A transfer device for filling a closed container with liquid comprising: a body having a hollow chamber which is separated from said container; an evacuating means operable to lower the pressure within said container; means for controlling said evacuating means, said controlling means including four parts, one of which comprises a float which contacts liquid in said hollow chamber, said liquid being drawn into said chamber from said container only after said liquid in said container reaches a predetermined level in said container; the second of which comprises a sealing member connected to said evacuating means, the third of which comprises means for isolating the liquid in said container and said chamber from contact with said sealing member, and the fourth of which comprises means for allowing fluid to flow from said chamber to said container when said sealing member is sealed, said controlling means responsive to the level of said liquid in said chamber, and a conduit for connecting said container to a source of liquid.
 7. A transfer device as defined in claim 6 wherein said controlling means further comprises: an arm, pivotally mounted within said chamber; said float connected to pivot said arm as the level of said liquid rises in said container, and said sealing member connected to said arm, isolated from sAid liquid, and positioned to prevent operation of said evacuating means when said arm pivots through a predetermined angle. 